Cost Effective and Energy Efficient Control of Indoor Humidity in Buildings with Hygroscopic Building Materials and Desiccants in the HVAC System

Abstract

Maintaining moderate indoor relative humidity levels in buildings is important for ensuring occupant comfort, as well as durability of building materials. This chapter presents methods for moderating indoor humidity levels using hygroscopic materials, in the form of: (1) hygroscopic building materials, (2) a desiccant coated air-to-air energy wheel and (3) a new concept ceiling panel with a vapour permeable surface. Simulation studies in an apartment and two office buildings, in different North American cities, are presented. The simulated indoor relative humidity and percent dissatisfied with perceived air quality (PAQ) are presented to show the benefits of using hygroscopic materials in buildings. Experimental results are presented for the novel ceiling panel, with results showing the sensible and latent effectiveness’s, as well as the heat and mass flux rates obtained from the panel. The results of the simulations and experiments show that these devices and methods have the potential to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ), while reducing the energy consumption of the buildings.